Electrical control system



April 25, 1933. B Jt CHROMY 1,906,046

ELECTRICAL CONTROL SYSTEM Original Filed May 25, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 dIN V EN TOR. @my A @fz/M BY di NORA/EY?.

April 25, 1933- B. J. cHRoMY Y A 1,906,046

ELECTRICAL CONTROL SYSTEM Original Filed May 23, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 21N VEN TOR.

' spective view Patented Apr. 25, 1933 vBEN' J. CHROH'Y, OF HOIPKINS,MINNESOTA,

NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE ELECTRICAL CONTROL SYSTEMOriginal application led Hay 28, 1929. Serial No. 365,534. Divided andthis application led July 12,

1930. Serial No. 467,602.

This invention relates broadly to electrical apparatus and morespecifically to electrically operated illuminating devices of the glowdischarge device type.

This ap lication is a division of m application, erial No. 365,534,filed May 23, 1929 for electrical appliances.

An object of this invention is to pro.

vide an arrangement for intermittently interrupting and establishingpredetermined electrical circuits through glow discharge devicesemployed in illuminating systems.

Another object of this invention is to pro- Vide an arrangement forintermittently interrupting and establishing the electricalcircuitthrough successive portions of a glow discharge device unit.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an arrangement forrendering successive portions of a glow discharge device illuminatingsystem successively dark.

A further object of this invention is to provide an arrangement for.intermittently causing different sections of a plurality of adjacentglowdischarge devices having different gasestherein to glowintermittently.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a multiplearrangement of glow discharge tubes connected to an electrical controlapparatus for selectively energizing said glow discharge tubes.

Other objects and` features of this invention will be understood fromthe specification hereinafter following by reference to the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Figure 1 diagrammatically illustrates one embodiment of my invention;Fig. 2 illustrates a selective control circuit for the system of myinvention; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view through one form ofswitching mechanism which may be employed in the` apparatus of myinvention; Fig. `4 1s a perof the switching mechanism illustrated inFig. 3; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view illustrating the solenoid mechanismand the means for restoring the armature associated therewith; and Fig.6 is a fragmentary view of the switch mechanism which is actuated whenthe armature is shifted to its extreme lower position.l

According to this invention a glow discharge device of the type employedin electric signs for advertising or other purposes is causedto flash orflicker in accordance with a predetermined pattern to produce certaindesirable and attractive effects.

An electric circuit interrupting mechanism is' employed in conjunctionwith the glow discharge device4 to connect certain electrodes associatedwith the glow discharge device into circuit at predetermined intervalswhereby sections of the device are periodically energized andcle-energized. Through the use of'this invention a dark spot or portionmay be caused to travel along the glow discharge device whereby a movingeect may be produced in the illuminated sign. Other effects in whichmulti-colored glow discharge devices of the intermittenly illuminatedvariety are employed may be produced by using, for eX- ample, aplurality of transparent tubes each filled with a diiierent gas orgases, such as neon, argon, helium, nitrogen, krypton, etc. Gases towhich small quantities of readily volatile materials, such as mercury,sodium, potassium, lithium, etc., have been added may also be employedin the glow discharge display devices made in accordance with thisinvention to produce different pleasing and attractive effects.

Referring to the drawings I have illustrated by reference character 119a plurality of glow discharge devices each of which is filled with adifferent gas for producing light rays of a different color. A pluralityof transparent tubes 120, 121 ,and 122 -are provided in the glow lamp119. Each of the tubes 120, 121 and 122 is filled with a different lightemitting gas or mixture of gases and readily ionizable materials.Electrodes 120a, 1206, 120e, 12006 and 120e are provided in the tube120; electrodes 121a, 1216, 121e, 1210? and 121e are provided in tube121 and electrodes 122m 1226, 1220, 122fZ and 122e are provided in tube122. The electrodes 120e, 121e and 122a are connected to a terminal ofthe secondary 125 of the transformer 123, the primary 124 of which isenergized by the source 126. Taps of AssIGNoR To wrnnn Immo, INC.; or

selected voltage on the secondary 125 are connected to the segments 135,136, 137, 138, 139, 1.40, etc., of the circuit making and breakingdevice 127. Connections are provided between the segment 129 and theelectrode 1226, between the segment 130 and the electrodes 121?) and1210, between the segment 131 and the electrodes 1201 1210 and 122d,between the segment 132 and the electrodes 120e, 121d and 122e, andbetween the segment 133 and electrodes 120d and 121e, etc.

In operation when the brush or contact arm 128 is caused to establishcontact between segments 135 and 129, the portion between electrodes122a and 1221 of tube 122 is caused to glow. When the arm 128 isadvanced and contacts with segments 130 and 136 the portions betweenelectrodes 122e and 1220 and between electrodes 121@ and 1215 of tubes122 and 121 respectively are caused to glow and as the arm 128 isadvanced tosegments 131and 137 the portions between electrodes 122@ and1226i, between electrodes 121@ and 1210 and between electrodes 120m and120?) of tubes 122, 121 and 120, respectively are caused to glow. Thisoperation is advanced until the whole glow lamp 119 is emitting lightwhen the lamp is caused to become dark and the operation repeated. Thelamp becomes dark when `the arm 128 of the circuit making and breakingdevice 127 is out of connection with contact segments 135-140 and129-134, etc. and prior to the commencef ment of the succeeding cyclewhen the arm 128 of the circuit making and breaking device againestablishes connection with the successive contact segments. The tube122 is illed with a gas that is more readily ionizable than the gasesused4 in tubes 121 and 120.

The switching arrangement 127 may be made up of two discs having aplurality of 'segments over which arm 128 is periodically driven asshown in Figs. 3 and 4 or it may be in the form of a relay system suchas illustrated in Fig. 2. Fig. 3 is a side elevational view with partsshown partially in cross-section and illustrating one arrangement of theswitching mechanism illustrated in Fig. l. The mechanism shown is to beconsidered entirely in the illustrative sense and not in a limitedsense. In the form of the switching mechanism shown, the motor 172 whichis supported with respect to base 173 as illustrated, is arranged todrive rotatable shaft 174 journaled in bearings 175. Shaft 174 has aradially extending insulated member 17 6 thereon which carries theconductive arm 12.8. The arm 128 as heretofore described provides ashunt path between sets ofv contacts 135- 140 and 129-134. The contactsare carried by insulated discs 177 and 178 supported with respect tobase 173, between which arm 128 moves. The arrangement of the mechanismis shown more clearly in Fig. 4 from which it will be observed thatconductive arm 128 passes perlodically over the sets of contact segmentsand passes over sets of contact segments free. During this latterportion of the travel of conductive arm 128, the lamp is dark.

Where the relay system illustrated in Fig. 2 is employed to operate thedisplay system illustrated in Fig. 1, the contacts 159 are connected tocorrespond to the segments 129 and 135, contacts 160 to correspond tosegments 130 and 136 etc. A source of current supply 153 is connected toeach of the sections 142,143, 144, 145 and 146 of the solenoid 141.Connections are also provided between the contacts 154, 155, 156, 157and 158 4and the sections of the solenoid. A piston 152 operating incylinder 151 is connected to the armature 147 so that more uniformoperation of the relay is obtained. The piston and cylinder arrangementis also employed to return the armature 147 to its open circuit positionwith the aid of spring 170 which normally tends to raise armature 147 inits eXtreme upper position. A contactor 149, of metallic material, suchas copper or brass, is mounted upon the rod 148 which is of insulatingmaterial. A second contactor 150 also of metallic material is mountedupon the contactor 149. The contactor 150 is insulated Jfrom thecontactor 149.

In operation the section 142 of the solenoid 141 is energized and theplunger of the armature 147 is caused to be pulled int-o the center ofthe section 142 whereupon the contactor 150 engages the contact 155 andthe section 143 is energized. The armature 147 is drawn further into thesolenoid 141 and the contactor 149 is caused to engage the contacts 160while the contactor 150 closes the circuit between the source of currentsupply 153 and the section 144. This operation is continued untilthearmature is drawn all the way down into vthe solenoid 141 as shown moreclearly in Fig. 6, at which time the piston 152 engages -a member 164which is of insulating material connected to arm 165@ and opens thecircuit of the source of current supply 153 and the section 146 of thesolenoid 141 at contacts 165 by movement of arm 165a against the actionof spring 171. The armature 147 is then returned to its originalstarting position by aid of spring 170 shown more clearly in Fig. 5 andthe contactor 149 engages the member 164 and the circuit between thesource of current supply 153 and the solenoid 141 is established throughthe contacts 165.

It is` of course, apparent that the piston and cylinder arrangement 151and 152 may be replaced by a spring of the proper tenwhich are leftelectricallyj l cause of the increased and that, this invention to theexact details as set forth in the foregoing specification except in sofar as they are defined by the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnitedStates is as follows:

1. In systems of the class described, the combination of a y deviceseach having different color, emission characteristics positionedadjacent to each other in different parallel paths, each of said glowdischarge devices containing a gaseous medium having a diiferentionizing potential, a source of current supply for selectively ionizingthe gaseous medium in each of said glow discharge devices, means forinterrupting and establishing the circuit between selected sections ofeach of said glow discharge devices and said source of current supply,in predetermined order,- and means for impressing different potentialsacross the diferent sections of said glow discharge devices.

2. In a visual display system, a multiplicity of parallel extendingtubes of transparent material, a plurality of glow dischar e electrodespositioned at'spaced intervalsln each 'of said tubes, gases of diferentcolor characteristics saturatin said tubes, and

means for applying dlerent potentialsA across separate sets of saidelectrodes in each of said parallel extending tubes for producingionizing [effects in predetermined order in differing parts of saidtubes for producing a redetermined composite color effect for e ing to aparticular pattern.

' 3. In a visual display system, a transpari ent envelop divided into apluralityof lon gitudinally a multiplicity of glow discharge electrodesdisposed at spaced intervals along each of sai chambers, said chamberseach containing gases of different color characteristics and means forextending chambers,

plurality of glow discharge eating a visualdisplay accorddevicespositioned adjacent to each other in imlnediatel adjacent parallelpaths, a milltiplicity ofyseparate electrodes ldisposed at spacedintervals in each of said devices, means for energizing selected sets ofthe electrodes in said glow discharge devices in accordance with apredetermined pattern, separate sections of said glow discharge devicesbeing `energized at different potentials, and a gas of different colorcharacteristics in each of said glow discharge devices for combining thedischarge effects of all of said devices. I

In'testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

' BEN J. CHROMY.

selectively energizing selected sets of said electrodes indifferentparts of said cha-mbers with different ionizing potentials for effectingdischarge in diiering parts of said parallel extending chambers inpredetermined orderfor producing a composite color effect according to aprearranged pattern;

4. In systems `.of the class described,.the

4combination of a plurality of glow discharge

